Under the 30th series of its online exhibition by Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, today presented the “Chokat” situated in the Himalayan Village, Open Air exhibition". Right from the early stages of civilization till now habitat is one of the basic necessities of human kind.
It is unique and vivid manifestation of human imaginations, knowledge and skill which narrates his/her distinct ability of adaptation with time, space and ecology. Amazing house types collected from remote Himalayan states of India and reinstalled in the “Himalayan village” open air exhibition of Manav Sangrahalaya are the example of the same.
There has been a tradition of houses varying in size and names in hilly region of Uttarakhand which has been presented online with its basic information and photographs and videos.
About this exhibition, Praveen Kumar Mishra, Director, IGRMS said that - In the beginning or at the very early stage there used to be single story houses called “Pundlu”. Later perhaps due to expansion of family, duplex and triplex houses called “Haveli” came in vogue. Then construction of four and five storied house also began which are called “Chokat” and “Panchpura” respectively.
Now-a-days eight storied houses can also be seen. Chokat has been in trend in the border area of Yamuna valley and its tributary Tons in Uttarakhand from the ancient period.
Usual length of Chokat was 13 Haanth [Ancient Indian measuring system in which one haanth is equal to 1.5 feet) and width was 9 Haanth and the height kept according to the number of stairs. Variation in names of housing structure is also a characteristic of the architectural richness of the area.
For example, houses other than Chokat are called “Kudoo” houses which are without upper stairs called “Chhani or Dobari” are used for keeping animals and built outside the village.